The voter, speaking candidly at the polling unit, alleged that agents associated with the PDP were handing out ₦2,000 to voters in return for their backing in the ongoing council poll.
Tension gripped Kutunku I Primary School in Kutunku Ward, Gwagwalada Area Council, FCT, as allegations of vote-buying surfaced during the ongoing council election. A voter at the polling unit claimed that agents of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) were offering cash to sway votes.
The voter, speaking openly, revealed that he personally received ₦5,000 from a man he named Usman Nga’aha. “I had no plans to vote this year, but because of Usman Nga’aha and his people, they made me come here,” he confessed.
He added chillingly, “Usman Nga’aha gave me ₦5,000. If you vote for PDP, they will give you ₦2,000.” When pressed for details, he reiterated, “Usman Nga’aha. ₦5,000.”
Yet, despite admitting to taking the cash, the voter insisted it did not sway his choice. “I didn’t take their money for the vote. I just like them. I just vote. I don’t need their money. I just vote. I get joy for them,” he said.
Vote-buying continues to shadow Nigerian elections, with civil society groups and observers warning that cash incentives are increasingly shaping the outcome of area council and local government polls.